Grants & FundingDavisons has dealt with many grant applications. Whether you are a new business, have expansion plans or just wish to take advantage of funding to set up new technology for your organisation we are able to point you in the right direction. We work closely with key professionals to ensure you receive quick, efficient and excellent advice.
There are many schemes around offering free or funded advice. Davisons keeps abreast of the legislation for grant initiatives to enable optimisation of all the opportunities that arise whether for development or business support. We have a designated partner, Liz Smith, who reviews the available grants and is in regular contact with all of the main grant providers. Liz can be contacted on 01769 572404.
Davisons office is also a base for W D Farm Consultants Ltd. Richard Stanbury has dealt with many rural and agricultural grant applications and can be contacted on 01769 575935.
We are in regular contact with all of the following grant providers so please contact us or follow the links listed below and go straight to their websites.
www.businesslink.gov.uk/southwest
The business link website has a Grants and Support Directory which allows the user to search for potential sources of help with starting up or business development.
Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon has launched a new initiative called the Business Growth Small Grant Scheme to help micro businesses to grow. The grant scheme is designed to meet the Leader 4 Torridge and North Devon objective to "raise and support growth aspirations of rural micro businesses" and will provide small grants for activity that improve profitability and support sustainable growth.
West Devon Business Information Point produce regular newsletters by email giving updates on grants and funding.
The South West of England Rural Development Gateway gives details of the rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The programme provides financial support for a wide range of activities in rural areas including diversification into non-agriculatural activities. Please see the attached leaflet for further details:
37_RDPE_Grant_Funding.pdfSouth West Healthy Livestock Initiative
Richard Stanbury has been closely involved with this project, chairing a panel dedicated to advising the RDA as to livestock health issues that should be targetted and ways of getting farmers to engage in the project.
The initiative has a total of £12.17 million available for all livestock sectors across the South West. The funds will be utilised for training and knowledge transfer and Richard anticipates a strong involvement with local vets working with livestock farmers as well as access to specialist annual health advisors where appropriate. Projects are expected to be "up and running" in spring 2010.
For more information on RDPE Grant Funding and the South West Healthy Livestock Initiative please call Richard Stanbury on 01769 575935.
j4b Grants is a website containing comprehensive grants information covering European, national government and lottery funding plus regional and local funding.
Renewables/Energy Saving
Renewable Energy 4 Devon (RE4D) aims to maximise the opportunities for local economic benefits and business growth amongst renewable energy companies by increasing the demand for and deployment of smaller scale renewable energy installations while assisting SME’s and communities to reduce their energy costs. RE4D has been successful in obtaining funding to offer capital grants and are now open to applications from SME’s and community groups in Devon (excluding Plymouth and Torbay). The grant levels are; Biomass boilers - 25%; Wind power, heat pumps, hydro schemes, photovoltaic systems, anaerobic digesters – 20%; Solar hot water – 15%. The maximum grant available is £30,000.
The Carbon Trust focuses on energy efficiency and carbon reduction and offers interest free loans from £3,000 to £5,000 based on the energy being saved by new equipment or process. Loans can be repaid over a period of up to 4 years and the scheme is designed for the energy savings to cover the repayments. The applied research grant of up to £500,000 is next available from December 2009 and this aims to support the development and commercialisation of technologies which have the potential to reduce UK carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust also offer Carbon surveys (which are free for energy users of £50,000+ per annum) and are guaranteed to show businesses where to reduce their energy bills. www.carbontrust.co.uk
The Energy Saving Trust is a useful website covering advice and information on a wide range of topics including energy, water and transport.
Research & Development
South West Regional Development Agency has research and development grants ranging from £5,000 for testing the commercial potential of an innovative idea, up to £500,000 for an exceptional development project.
The Devon Innovation Fund has available small grants of up to £3,000 for innovative projects. The scheme is managed by the University of Exeter and Business Link.
Business Link Skills Service
The Service is able to source training, advise on funding and provide supported referrals to find out about apprenticeships, Job Centre Plus recruitment incentives and much more.
There is also a Leadership & Management training grant of up to £1000 for eligible organisations - £500 grant plus optional £500 match funding. This can be used to support key business people develop their leadership & management skills. To qualify, you must employ 5-249 people and participate in a skills review.
South West Manufacturing Advisory Service
Offers advice and support to manufacturing businesses, including process reviews, lean manufacturing, specific production issues and management development and training.
UK Trade and investment
UK trade and investment offers international trade help, advice and support, mainly focused on export. Offers a mixture of advice, information and grant support.
Devon Social Enterprise Development Voucher Scheme
A scheme to provide subsidised business support through vouchers to existing social enterprises in Devon (excluding Plymouth & Torbay). A total of £35,000 is available for business development vouchers through the Scheme, which, subject to demand, will be open for applications until 31 December 2010. For the purposes of the Scheme, a social enterprise is defined as “A business or service with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners”.
Applicants must demonstrate a need for this financial assistance and a commitment to quality, equal opportunity, and the environment.
The scheme offers up to £2,000 (at a maximum intervention rate of 50%). Vouchers can be used to fund a wide range of business support needs to help enable a step change in the growth of the enterprise, including feasibility work, business planning, developing on-line sales, marketing activity, etc. Vouchers cannot be used to support business as usual; items of capital expenditure; retrospective work; or legal requirements.
To apply, contact Business Link on 0845 600 9966 and ask to speak to a specialist social enterprise advisor, or contact Co-active direct on 01752 500888 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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